Heartache
by timtam2400
Summary: It's the seniors' final year, and Azusa is trying to get herself to confess to Yui. But when she finally works up the courage, she sees Yui with another student. Who is she, and... is that a letter she's giving Yui? YuiAzu. All comments welcome.
1. Lovestruck

RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNGGGGGGGG! Stirring, Azusa reached out and shut her alarm clock off. Gathering herself, she forced herself up. _Another day._ Climbing out of bed, she grabbed some hair ties and headed for the bathroom. When she returned, her eyes fell on the letter on her desk. Standing still, her gaze lingered on that envelope.

Let me explain briefly. For several weeks, Azusa had been trying to screw up her courage to confess to Yui. Yes, the twin-tailed catgirl was in love. The seniors were in their final year of high school, and Azusa knew that her time was slowly dwindling away. She had practised and practised what she would say when she was alone, but every time she was with them, either the opportunity wouldn't arise, or her courage would fail her.

Now they were a third of the way through the year, and Yui was still unaware of anything. Each time Azusa failed to say anything, she would silently curse her cowardice. This repeated over and over. She had considered trying the age old trick of leaving the letter in Yui's shoe locker, but felt that it would be best to deliver it in person. Ui could sense that something was on her friend's mind, but was hesitant to intrude.

One day after school, Azusa was on her way to the clubroom as usual, letter in bag. _I am such a coward. Why can't I just give it to her? What is wrong with me?_ Deep in thought, she failed to see the person in front of her. *bump* "Oh, I'm so sorry." she said hurriedly, bowing.

"Oh, it's okay, Azusa." Recognizing the voice, Azusa looked up. It was Nodoka. "Is everything okay? You seem a bit out of it."

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Are you sure? Yui's a little worried about you."

"Worried?" Azusa asked, surprised.

"Yes. She says you've seemed distant lately, and you don't seem to react much when she hugs you." Azusa averted her gaze.

"If you don't want to say anything, you don't have to. But if there's something on your mind, you should really talk to someone about it. It's not healthy to keep it to yourself."

_So Yui-sempai's worried about me_ Azusa thought. Clenching her fists, she opened her mouth. "The truth is... the truth is, I love someone. One of the students here." Nodoka was surprised by this sudden confession.

"I can't say who it is, but I really love her. I want to tell her, but I can't bring myself to do it. And it's killing me. She graduates this year, and I know that if I don't tell her, I'll lose her forever."

"Azusa..." The junior squeezed her bag's strap.

"What should I do, Nodoka-sempai? I'm slowly running out of time."

"Well, this is a little outside my area of expertise to be honest. I don't really know what I can do or say to help." The girls stood there in silence for a moment. After a minute, Nodoka spoke up again.

"Sorry. I don't think I can really help you. Ultimately, you will need to tell her, but I can't really give you any advice as to how." Azusa looked up at her and smiled.

"It's okay. I think I feel slightly better now that I've told someone." The Student Council President smiled back.

"Well, that's something I guess." she said.

"Yeah. Thanks for listening."

"Anytime. You'd better get going then. They're probably wondering where you are."

"They probably are. Well, bye." Spirit slightly lighter, Azusa headed off. _She's right. I have to quit being a coward and just tell Yui-sempai how I feel._ Reaching the clubroom, she opened the door. "Hi. Sorry I'm late." The seniors all turned to her.

"Azusa, it's unusual for you to be late." Mio said. The catgirl forced a smile.

"I was held up a bit." She dumped her bag and joined her sempais.


	2. Admittance

Azusa lay on her bed. Again, she had failed to deliver her letter. Throughout clubtime, she kept stealing glances at Yui, her heart aching. Burying her face in her pillow, she screamed and kicked. _You coward! You spineless coward!_ She then looked up at her calender. _We're a third of the way through the year. If I don't tell her soon, I'll never get the opportunity again._ Sitting up, she sighed. _Why is it so hard?_

Her thoughts drifted towards Yui. Her heart ached again, causing her to clutch her chest. _Yui-sempai, if only you knew how much I loved you._ There was a knock at her door. "Yes?" The door opened and her mom entered.

"Azusa sweetie. Is everything okay with you? You haven't seemed your normal self lately." Her eyes spotted the envelope on Azusa's desk. Heading over, she picked it up. "What's this?" Azusa flew over and grabbed it, then moved away. "Azusa?" Her daughter stayed silent. "Was that a love letter?" her mom said jokingly. She then saw Azusa trembling and stopped smiling.

Heading over, she turned her around and was startled to see tears. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" Azusa then threw her arms around her mom and broke down crying. Unsure what to do, her mom simply held her. They stayed like this until Azusa began to calm down. Worried about her daughter, Ms. Nakano led her over to the bed and sat her down. Pulling out a handkerchief, she wiped away the tears.

After Azusa had calmed down, she told her mom everything (except the name of who she loved). When she finished, Ms. Nakano held her. "Honey, no-one ever said love was easy. The thing to remember is not to rush. Otherwise you'll make mistakes." Azusa was silent for a brief moment. Then she spoke up.

"I know that. But I have to tell her before she graduates. I won't get a second chance." Her mom sighed and pulled Azusa up.

"It's frustrating, I know. It's okay to lose courage each time you try. But you shouldn't let those failures get to you. Just think of them as extra chances. You still have most of the year. I know you'll be able to confess to her when you're ready. Just take things one step at a time."

"One step at a time..." Azusa repeated.

"Yes. Let things happen, and when you feel ready, let her know."

"But what if she rejects me? That's something else that's keeping me from trying." Her mom smiled.

"Well, at least you'll know that you gave it your best. Maybe she just won't be ready herself." Azusa looked away.

"Of course, I can't say that for certain. I'm sure she'll be ready to accept you with open arms when you make your move. Try not to lose hope, Azusa." Azusa managed to smile.

"Yeah. I can't lose hope." She looked at her mom again. "Mom, thank you. I feel a lot better now. I think... I might just be able to do it this time." Ms. Nakano smiled back.

"I'm happy to hear that. I'm always here if you need me, sweetie. You're my daughter after all." The two hugged again. Later on, Azusa lay in bed.

_Okay. Tomorrow I will give the letter to Yui-sempai. I _will_ give it to her._ Her eyes closed.


	3. Nightmare

Azusa ran down the school hallway, clutching the letter to her chest. _I'll do it. I'll give her this letter and tell her how I feel._ Rounding a corner, she spotted Yui's homeroom. Yui stood outside, back to Azusa. "Yui-sempai!" Yui turned around.

"Azu-nyan?" The junior stopped in front of Yui.

"Yui-sempai, I have to tell you something." Gathering herself, she held the letter out. "Yui-sempai, I..." Yui held her hand up, cutting her off.

"You're about to hand me a love letter and confess to me, aren't you?" This surprised Azusa.

"How did you know?"

"Why else would you be handing me a letter with that look of hope in your eyes?" Yui then pushed the letter back.

"Yui-sempai?" Taking a step back, Yui stretched her arm to the classroom. Out came a girl around Azusa's build, eyes in shadow. "Who's that?" Azusa asked. The strange girl walked to Yui's side, the guitarist putting her arm over her shoulder.

"Azusa, say hello to my girlfriend." Azusa's voice caught in her throat. Yui pulled the girl closer. "Yes, this is my girlfriend." The kouhai was stunned. _Yui-sempai's... girlfriend?_

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Yui asked. Azusa struggled for words.

"... Your girlfriend? What? No. Yui-sempai, I wanted to be your girlfriend." Yui sneered at her.

"It wouldn't work, Azusa. We're not compatible at all."

"What do you mean?" Yui pulled the girl she was holding into a hug.

"My girlfriend is right here. She's perfect, unlike you." Azusa couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Unlike me?"

"Yes. Unlike you, she _likes_ _it_ when I cuddle her, she _likes it_ when I call her by her nickname, she _doesn't_ bother me about practise, and she's _honest_ with her feelings. Isn't that right, Maya-nyan?" The girl cuddled up close to Yui, smiling.

"Yui-chan, my love." The two then began drifting away.

"Yui-sempai!" Azusa dropped the letter and started running after them. "Yui-sempai, please don't go! I love you!" The distance between them increased. "I'll change! I won't bother you about practise anymore, I'll let you cuddle me all you want! Please, come back!" Yui and "Maya" faded.

"YUI-SEMPAI!"


	4. Heartbreak

Azusa sat bolt upright, sweating and panting heavily. "Yui-sempai..." Looking around, her adjusting eyes took in her surroundings. _This is... my room?_ Flicking her lamp on, she saw her familiar bedroom. Her breathing slowing, she took a moment to gather herself. _It was just a nightmare._ Putting a hand to her chest, she breathed a sigh of relief. _Just a nightmare._

Getting up, she headed to her desk and picked up her letter. _I have to give this to her as soon as possible. I don't think I'll last mentally if I don't._ The nightmare flashed before her eyes. Yui with that girl "Maya", hugging her. Azusa shook her head. _That was just a dream. Yui-sempai has no-one else. There is no other girl with her._ Resolving to tell Yui how she felt, the kouhai replaced the letter and settled back into bed.

The next day, lunchtime...

Excusing herself, Azusa hurried out of her classroom, leaving Ui and Jun puzzled. Clutching the letter to her chest, she ran down the corridors. Rounding a corner, she stopped and stepped back. Yui was outside her classroom. With her was a girl Azusa had never seen before. _A blue necktie. One of Yui-sempai's classmates?_ What she saw next caused her heart to skip a beat.

The girl held out an envelope and bowed. Yui looked at her, surprised, then she took the envelope. The girl then said some words, then bowed again and ran off. Azusa watched as she disappeared, then looked at Yui. The guitarist proceeded to open the envelope and read the letter inside. "Is everything okay, Yui?" a voice rang out. Mio appeared by Yui. "What's that?"

"Someone asking to meet me after school."

"Does that mean you'll be skipping club?"

"Yeah. It wouldn't be nice to ignore this." They then headed back inside. Azusa leant back against the wall.

_Meet her after school? Could that mean..._ Panic began setting in. _It couldn't be. Does someone else want to confess to her?_ The kouhai shook her head. _No, that can't be right. I'm overthinking things._ Deciding to follow Yui after school, Azusa returned to her classroom.

After school...

Grabbing her bag, Azusa bid farewell to Ui and Jun, then hurried to find Yui. Spotting the brunette, she stealthily tailed her to behind the school. At their destination, the girl who had given Yui the letter waited. "Hi. Sorry to keep you waiting." Yui called. The girl smiled and faced her.

"Not at all. I'm just happy you were able to come." Azusa kept to the shadows and watched.

"What did you want to ask me?" The girl fidgeted a bit.

"Um... Hirasawa-san. Are you seeing anyone by any chance?" This question surprised Yui.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Well..." the girl breathed deeply. "Hirasawa-san, I've always admired you. You're a really nice person, and really funny and cute. Ever since I first saw you... I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. My heart always pounds when we're in class, and..." she gulped. "Hirasawa-san, will you please go out with me?" Azusa froze solid. Those last words echoed in her head. Yui was a bit taken aback by this.

"Um..."

"Please. I know I'm not perfect, but will you at least consider it?" Yui held her hand out.

"Sorry, could I just have a minute?" Trying to gather her thoughts, she fell silent. Azusa struggled to focus. After a couple of minutes, Yui looked at the girl and smiled.

"What was your name?"

"Eh?"

"If we don't know each other's names, things wouldn't work out."

"Uh, it's Maya. Maya Shiva." Azusa's vision blurred.

"_Maya"? _The nightmare from the previous night played in her mind's eye. _There was a Maya in my dream. Could it be a premonition? … No, it's just a coincidence. Nothing more. _She shook her head and kept watching.

"Maya-chan, you seem a really sweet girl. I feel like I want to get to know you some more." Maya smiled hopefully.

"Does that mean...?"

"Well, if you're okay with someone like me, maybe we could give it a try." Azusa couldn't believe her ears. Yui was really saying that?

"Um..." Maya suddenly said, blushing.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for the strange request, but..." her blush deepened. "Could we... possibly kiss?" Yui was stunned by this.

"Kiss?"

"I know it's strange, seeing as how we've just met and all, but I'd really like it. If you don't want to though, it's okay." Yui pondered Maya's request.

_No Yui-sempai, please don't_ Azusa pleaded silently.

"Well..." Yui started.

_Please don't do it._ Yui then looked at Maya.

"I guess one couldn't hurt." Maya smiled brightly.

"Hirasawa-san..."

_NO!_ Azusa felt her heart beginning to crack. Yui went up to Maya and held her shoulders. She moved her head in. Both girls' lips trembled. At that point, Azusa stepped out. Her bag slowly slid off her arm and dropped to the ground. The noise drew the attention of Yui and Maya.

"Azu-nyan?" Tears filled Azusa's eyes. She then ran away. "Azu-nyan!"

"Was that a friend of yours?" Maya asked. Yui then spied something sticking out of Azusa's bag pocket. Heading over, she pulled out the envelope containing Azusa's letter. Flipping it over, she saw her name.

_Is this...?_ She ripped it open and pulled out the letter. Opening it up, she saw Azusa's neat handwriting. Curious, Maya went to her side. The two began reading...


	5. Letter

_To my beloved Yui-sempai_

_As you probably know, I've never been very honest with my feelings. I always put on a tough front when I'm with you, always trying not to let my true feelings through. Well, that's not the case here. Even if I can't tell you how I really feel in person, I should be able to at least put it in writing. Yui-sempai... I love you so much. I know I always seem to hate everything you do, but that's not actually true. I love everything about you. Your childish personality, your reluctance to practise, your airheadedness, everything. I know you'll be graduating at the end of this year, but I have to tell you my true feelings. I want to be with you as much as possible, while you're still at high school. Even though our time may be limited, I want to cherish every moment we have together. I want to be your girlfriend. To share all our laughter, sadness, and even scold you from time to time. I want to be able to hold you close and hug you. And I want you to keep hugging me the way you always do. The truth is, I love it when you do that. I don't want you to stop. I'm always thinking of you, and I hope you are the same. You mean so much to me. Please be with me forever._

_Love Azusa Nakano_

Author's note: I don't know whether Azusa would word a love letter to Yui like this as I don't know her inside and out. If you have any suggestions on how to make it more Azusa accurate, please let me know.


	6. Tragedy

Yui lowered the letter. "Azu-nyan..."

"Hirasawa-san?"

"I think I've just made a terrible mistake."

"... Go after her." Yui looked at Maya. The girl had tears in her eyes, but she was smiling.

"Maya-chan?" Wiping away her tears, Maya spoke again.

"Go after her. She needs you more than I do. It's clear she's better for you than I am."

"Are you sure? I'd feel really bad about rejecting you."

"I'll manage. Even if we can't be lovers, we can still be classmates. I'll just continue to admire you from afar." Yui grabbed her hands. "Hirasawa-san?"

"Not classmates. Let's be friends. I still want to get to know you, Maya-chan. We can still do that as friends." Maya smiled.

"That's one of the things I love about you, Hirasawa-san. You can be so thoughtful at times."

"Please, call me Yui."

"Eh?"

"I'm calling you by your first name, right? You should do the same." Maya looked away.

"Um... Y... Yui..." Yui's eyes sparkled.

"Kawaii." Maya blushed.

"You should get going. Your friend needs you."

"You're right." Yui began to head off, then stopped and looked back. "I hope we can become good friends, Maya-chan. And I hope you find the right person." Her classmate smiled.

"Thank you. Now go." With a final nod, Yui grabbed Azusa's bag and ran off. Behind her, Maya broke down crying.

On the roof...

Azusa sat curled up, crying. _I was too late. Someone else got to her before me._ She cursed herself repeatedly. _Why did I take so long?! Why didn't I just give it to her?!_ Her heart and confidence were in tatters. _I've __failed__. I've lost my only opportunity to tell her how I feel. And she graduates this year._ Raising her head, she looked at the horizon.

_She's leaving me, and she has someone else, and there's nothing I can do about it._ At that point, Azusa gave up. Getting to her feet, she walked to the edge of the roof. _What's the point of going on?_ Stepping up onto the raised lip of the roof, she prepared to jump.

Down below, someone spotted her and shouted "Look up there!" Other girls who were around all looked up and gasped. Azusa held her arms out and put out her foot...


	7. Pitfall

SLAM! "AZU-NYAAAAAAAAN!" Recognizing the voice, Azusa looked behind her. Yui stood in front of the roof entrance, panting.

"Azu-nyan, what are you doing!?" Azusa looked ahead again.

"I'm ending it. I have no reason to live anymore."

"Azu-nyan, wait. I..."

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" the kouhai screamed. Her shoulders trembling, she began crying again. "I don't want to hear it..." Yui stepped forward.

"Azu-nyan, please just listen. That girl and I..."

"I saw it all, Yui-sempai! She's your girlfriend now, isn't she!? You're a happy couple now, aren't you!?" Azusa said, voice thick with emotional pain. Wiping her tears away, she took a few breathes. "I wasn't fast enough. I got to you too late. Now someone has taken away the most important person in my life. There's nothing left for me now."

"We called it off, Azu-nyan!" Yui said desperately. Azusa's head perked up. She looked back at Yui.

"What?" Yui slowly began walking forward, pulling the letter out of her friend's bag.

"Azu-nyan, I've read your letter. I know how you feel about me now." Azusa's eyes widened. She slowly turned round.

"You've read it?" she asked quietly.

"Yes." The catgirl fell silent for a bit. Yui kept moving towards her.

"Azu-nyan..."

"Don't come any closer." Yui stopped. Azusa balled her hands into fists. "You really called it off with her? Why should I believe that?"

"Because I'm your friend, Azu-nyan. We both read the letter, and she said I should go with you instead."

"Really?"

"Yes. I promise you it's true." Yui begged. Silence. Then Azusa spoke up.

"Yui-sempai, I..." A breeze then blew across the roof, blowing a bit of dust into Azusa's eye. "Ah." Trying to wipe it out, she inadvertently stepped back. Stepping on thin air, she screamed as she began falling.

"AZU-NYAN!" Throwing the bag and letter to one side, Yui leapt forward. Time slowed to a crawl. Terror filling her heart, the guitarist reached out to her friend. Azusa held her hand out. They grew closer...


	8. Doubt

By this time, a sizeable crowd had gathered at the school. In amongst them were the rest of the Light Music Club. There were gasps and screams when they saw Azusa fall. Mio looked away, not wanting to see. Seconds later, Ritsu shook her. "She's got her." Looking up, Mio saw that Yui had managed to grab hold of Azusa.

"They need help." The bassist began pushing her way through the crowd.

"Mio." Ritsu said.

"Stay here." Mio called back.

Up on the roof...

Yui struggled to keep hold of Azusa. She had managed to grab her wrist, but there was no telling how long she'd be able to hang on. "Azu-nyan..." She tried to heave the kouhai back up, but she didn't have the strength. Azusa was quiet. "Azu-nyan, are you okay?"

"Let go."

"What?"

"I said let go." Yui was shocked.

"No. I can't do that."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to save me? Shouldn't you be with Maya, doing couple things?"

"I told you Azu-nyan, we called it off. We're just gonna be friends, nothing more." Yui then felt Azusa slowly start to slide out of her grasp. She tightened her grip as much as she could.

"Azu-nyan, I'm telling the truth. After you'd run off and we'd read your letter, Maya-chan and I agreed that we'll just be friends. We're not a couple, I promise you." Azusa was still unsure about what Yui was telling her.

"I'll ask again. Why should I believe you?" Yui couldn't believe it.

"Because I'm your friend, Azu-nyan, and... I love you too." The kouhai looked up at the brunette.

"What did you say?"

"I love you Azu-nyan. Reading your letter made me realize that." Yui's hold slipped from Azusa's wrist to her hand. She desperately held on. "Azu-nyan, can you reach me with your other hand?"

"I don't know." Azusa tried swinging her other hand up to grab Yui, but to no avail. "I can't reach." The kouhai could feel herself sliding out of Yui's grip. "Let go, Yui-sempai. You can't pull me up."

"No. I'll find a way."

"Let go, sempai."

"I CAN'T!" Azusa was stunned by this outburst. She then saw tears in Yui's eyes. "I can't, Azu-nyan. I love you. If you're gonna go, then I'll go with you."

"Yui-sempai..." Footsteps were heard.

"Yui! Azusa!"

"Mio-chan?" Mio appeared in the doorway.

"Yui. Is Azusa okay?"

"Yes, but I don't know how much longer I can keep hold of her."

"Just hang on." Mio ran over. Briefly disorientated by the height, she focused on Azusa. "Azusa, grab my hand." The bassist reached down. Summoning all her strength, Azusa threw her hand up, managing to grab Mio. "Okay, I've got her. We'll pull her up on 3."

"Right." Yui replied.

"Ready? 1. 2. 3!" The two girls did what one couldn't. They heaved their friend up and back onto the roof.


	9. Togetherance

Back on solid ground, Azusa kept still.

"Azu-nyan, are you okay?" Yui asked, grasping her shoulders. Azusa looked up. As the shock of what had happened sank in, she began breaking down.

"Yui-sempai... I... I..." Yui wrapped her arms around her friend.

"It's okay, Azu-nyan. You're safe now." Unable to take it, the kouhai clutched the guitarist, then with a loud cry, burst into tears. Mio watched her junior club member let go. She then heard footsteps approaching. Ritsu and Mugi appeared.

"Mio, what's..." Mio put a finger to her lips, silencing Ritsu. Azusa's cries echoed around for several minutes. Yui held her tightly, happy that her dear friend was safe, but sad that she had been the cause of all this. Soon, Azusa began to calm down.

"Are you feeling better now, Azu-nyan?" Yui asked.

"Yes... (hic)... Yes, a little bit." the kouhai replied. Yui pulled her up to look at her. The sight wasn't particularly pretty. There were tears and mucus everywhere. Pulling out her handkerchief, Yui began cleaning her up.

"Azu-nyan, I'm sorry. I feel terrible about all this. I can't believe I was going to just blindly start datingpeople without considering your feelings." She plugged Azusa's nose. "Blow." Azusa blew, then Yui wiped it away and put her handkerchief back in her pocket. She then grasped Azusa again.

"Azu-nyan. Please promise me you will never do something so dangerous like that ever again." Her friend nodded, but avoided her gaze.

"I'm sorry too. I should have had more faith in you. I immediately jumped to the worst conclusion without getting all the facts." Yui smiled.

"Well, you have them all now, don't you?" Azusa still refused to look at her.

"You really called it off with that Maya girl?" Yui then took hold of Azusa's face and gently turned it towards her.

"Yes, we both agreed to just be friends." Her eyes bored into Azusa's. "Besides, there's only one girl in this school that I want."

"You mean...?" Yui pulled Azusa's head closer and joined their lips. Slightly surprised, Azusa slowly closed her eyes. Mio blushed at the sight while Mugi's eyes sparkled.

"Well, it's about time." Ritsu said. The setting sun threw its rays across the sky, colouring the group vividly. Yui and Azusa then separated.

"I love you, Azu-nyan. I know we don't have much time left before graduation, but let's try to enjoy it as much as we can, okay?" Azusa smiled.

"Yes." With that, she grabbed her bag and followed the seniors inside. She only had about half a year left to spend with Yui, but she was going to use every minute possible.

THE END


End file.
